This invention relates to automatic molten metal pouring apparatus capable of automatically causing the ladle to pour a suitable pouring flow rate of molten metal into each of the molds of different types. In general practice, the invention can have application in cases where it is required to automatically pour any liquid in different quantities into vessels of different sizes.
The present practice in the metal casting industry is only to provide a ladle with a mechanism for tilting the ladle through a predetermined angle at all times, so that the ladle can be titled to feed molten metal to the cavities of the molds conveyed along casting line. Thus when molds of different cavity sizes which require different pouring flow rates of molten metal to be fed to the cavities thereof are conveyed along the casting line, it has hitherto been customary to adjust the tilting angle of the ladle beforehand in such a manner that the mechanism is set at a ladle tilting angle which suits the mold cavity of the largest size. As a result, a large pouring flow rate of molten metal has hitherto been fed to a mold cavity requiring a small pouring flow rate of molten metal to be poured thereinto. Moreover, since the position of the lip of a ladle may vary depending on the tilting angle of the ladle, it has hitherto been required to increase, more than is necessary, the size of a pouring cup at the head of a sprue or downgate (including a pouring basin which receives and temporarily collects therein the poured molten metal for removing slag and other foreign matter therefrom). These factors have been responsible for the low yield of the castings. The temperature of the molten metal poured into and collected in the pouring cup becomes lower with time. Thus, an increase in the size of the pouring cup has hitherto caused a degradation of the quality of the castings produced.